Grey leaned back in his chair, his half-lidded eyes reflecting the faint glow of lantern light that filled the dim bar. Though his posture seemed idle, every fiber of his being was quietly alert. The dull chatter, the occasional clinking of glasses, and the thick scent of fermented spirit mixed with wood smoke — all of it painted a crude yet familiar picture of mortal indulgence.

As Grey leaned back on his chair and pretended to eavedrop, he secretly counted the number of people in the bar and their levels of cultivation. After a steady count, he found out that the number of people in the bar was exactly twenty-one. With the addition of the bar-tender and waitresses who floated from table to table with tired smiles.

Among them, only a few possessed a discernible aura. The rest were ordinary folk who were either drunkards, merchants, or petty thugs who fancied themselves brave after a few cups.

But the group Grey was focusing on — the four cultivators in the far corner — were different. Their conversation was low, cautious, and occasionally spiked with laughter that carried hidden edges. Their cultivation levels were modest: three at the Fourth level of Qi Accumulation, and one at the Fifth.

The last one — a middle-aged man — drew Grey's attention more than the rest. His clothes were plain yet clean, his manner quiet. Unlike his companions, who were already flushed with wine and bragging about meaningless things, this man drank sparingly. He would raise his cup now and then, take a slow sip, and then let his gaze wander as if listening for something beyond the noise.

Grey noted the restraint. That was not the behavior of a carefree cultivator. That was the caution of a man used to danger.

Gret continued to observe them for several minutes until he was served his wine. Slowly, Grey began to drink his wine. His body language told everyone that he was relaxed but stern. That made those who wanted to latch on and have a free drink think again.

Grey continued like this for several hours. Whenever his wine finished, he would order for more. This continued until the group of four left the bar five hours later. Their faces were flushed and their expressions were filled with happiness. Most of all, their eyes were muddled with enjoyment.

As he watched them go, Grey felt a sudden gaze on his person. When he turned to see who it is, he saw the middle-aged man in the Fifth level of Qi Accumulation staring at him.

A bit stunned, it took several moments before he could react. But when he did, he gestured with a small nod and calmly took his gaze away. Whatever happened next was none of Grey's business.

Throughout his eavesdropping, the only thing he had managed to get from the small group was the latest gossip and gist in the city. Nothing was said about any treasures or the entrance of an underground cavern. Which made Grey very disappointed, but he did not feel disheartened. He knew that it was take a long time before he could gather enough information about it, so he patiently walked to the door after paying for his wine and left to find an inn.

It was currently a few minutes to seven. Get judged the time based on the position of the sun. If he couldn't gather information during the afternoon, he was sure that there would be something at night when drunkards and cultivators gathered.

So he hurried to find an in which still had one room and paid a rent of one night. Of course, with the amount of spirit stones he had on him, he could even rent this room for years to come. Yet, he decided to pay for only night in case he needed to suddenly switch locations.

After settling into his room, he sat cross-legged on the narrow bed and began cultivating. Spiritual energy drifted through the room in quiet currents, invisible yet profound. The faint hum of his breathing stabilized, and his mind entered stillness.

Hours passed in silence before he finally opened his eyes. His body felt lighter, his senses sharper. The night outside had deepened.

He left the inn quietly and returned to the bar.

The bar was more crowded now. The air was thicker with laughter, smoke, and the clatter of glasses. Someone had already taken his former seat, but Grey didn't mind. He found another — one tucked between two tables where the noise blended perfectly to hide his presence.

After ordering a new drink, he resumed his quiet game of eavesdropping. His face remained calm, but his mind was sharp, scanning through dozens of conversations at once.

This continued till midnight came, and yet Grey hadn't even gotten any useful things from them. Not even about the recent sandstorm that happened.

When fatigue finally set in, Grey rose from his seat, dropped a few coins on the table, and returned to the inn.

He cultivated again until dawn, his breathing deep and controlled. The early sunlight filtered through the thin curtains, brushing across his sharp features. When he opened his eyes, they carried a strange glint — faintly cold, faintly curious.

Without waiting for breakfast, Grey left.

Once again, he wandered the streets of Green City. The air was already warm, filled with the scent of baked bread and dust. He passed through alleys, marketplaces, and side streets, observing faces and listening to the rhythm of the city. But despite his efforts, no trace of the information he sought appeared.

When the sun was high above the sky and it's rays, piercing hot, he made his way back to the bar and sat down.

But to his surprise, Grey saw the middle-aged man in the Fifth level of Qi Accumulation sitting directly opposite where he sat down.

As if realizing Grey had come, he calmly shifted his attention from the drink in his hand to Grey. While seeing this, Grey froze up, but he quickly reacted and went to sit down opposite the middle-aged man.

The middle-aged man didn't look his way again. Or perhaps he did, but too subtly for most to notice.

The two of them sat in silence, each pretending to ignore the other, each aware that the other was doing the same.

Grey's instincts whispered that something was off — the way the man had appeared again, the way his aura was faintly restrained. A cautious cultivator didn't linger in one place without reason.

Almost as if he was ignoring his existence.

The middle-aged man also pretended to ignore Grey's existence and continued calmly sipping on his drink.

Grey leaned back in his chair again and continued to eavesdrop on the conversation of various customers, all the while placing great importance on the middle-aged man sitting directly opposite him.

**☺️😉**

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